Have you noticed anymore road bikes on your commute. This morning, I added two “roadies” to my mental catalogue of fellow commuters. Could it be because of the Tour de France. Quite possibly, according to the owner of my local bike shop. He says road bike sales generally go up during the last two weeks…
Commute by Bike
650 foot commute — by car
Lasse Jonsson Malmoe, Sweden won a “most ridiculous commute” contest. He drives his car less than 650 feet from home to work every day, and drives another several feet for lunch. His prize for winning the contest: a bicycle. Read more.
Back on the Bike (plus, two new additions to two families)
Today was my first commute by bike in close to a month. Here’s the reason…
Italian bike lock
Italian bike lock Originally uploaded by turbofan. Photo by Ryan Richardson who saw this while visiting Venice. Via SFist in a rant about the new bike rack at Trader Joe’s.
Happy Canada Day!
It is July 1st, which means it is Canada Day! Since my company decided to switch our day off to Monday, so we get a 3 day weekend, I have to work on the birthday of my nation. So, I decided to share my commute with you. A. My ride and her parking spot. Affectionately…
Q&A: Can you really ride faster than you drive?
Rob asks: I’ve read different places that people can actually get to work quicker riding their bike than driving their car. This doesn’t seem feasible to me, especially since my commute is twice as long when I ride. So is it true that there are bike commuters out there that actually save time by riding…
Commuting 101: Weekend Check-up
If you don’t cover a lot of miles on your bike, I’d recommend at least doing the “thumb press” test on your tires each weekend, and squeezing both brakes to make sure they are adequately tight. I’m not usually a slacker, though. With nice weather, I ditch the bus and go to bike-only commuting mode…
On-air discussion about commuting by bike
I was invited to sit down as a participant on a panel of bicycle commuting “experts” in Kansas City today. I was joined by KCMO’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, a Bike Patrol police officer for one of the local suburbs and another man who’s been commuting by bike for over a decade. Between comments on the radio…
A Bike Trailer on a Scooter?
We get a lot of questions about bike trailers at the shop. “Can I carry an accordion in a dog trailer?”, for instance. Or, “Do you have a trailer I can pull behind my car, to carry an upright bass, so my bike can ride inside?” One we frequently get asked and that we would…
SealLine Urban Backpack : Long Term Review
For the past couple months the SealLine Urban Backpack has been my go-to bag for commuting and trekking in general. The bag has gone through rain, pouring rain, very hot 100 degree days and a couple off road crashes. Still, it looks close to new, no damages to the water protect material and I think…
Commuter Story: Taking Back What's Rightfully Ours!
Submitted by Kaz Kougar: Since my wife’s favorite bicycle was stolen from our garage on Mother’s Day, things haven’t been the same. As she scoured the web for a new cruiser nothing she found seemed to be exactly what she desired and I feared that she would have to settle on a bike that she…
Q&A: How should I deal with aggressive dogs?
Ed. – The following question was submitted by a reader. If you have some insight, please leave it in the comments. If you have a question you would like to appear here, email us at diggers@commutebybike.com Diane from Canada: I had two large dogs charge me from 50 yards away yesterday while off leash and…
Whack a pump
Thursday, June 19 (aka Juneteenth) is national Dump the Pump Day in the United States. The American National Public Transportation Association created this goofy “Whack a Pump” game. Enjoy! Click here for more on Dump the Pump Day.
Gas Savings Calculator: Put it on your site!
One of the more popular aspects of Commute by Bike is the Gas Savings Calculator you see over there on the right sidebar. We’ve had a few requests to make it available for readers to put on their own website or blog, so we’ve done just that.
Driven to crime
Mike Luckovich cartoon from June 10 in the Atlanta Journal Constitution: Driven to crime…
Cycling and wrist discomfort
Matthew mentioned in a comment that his fingers go numb while cycling. There are a couple of things that can cause wrist, hand and finger discomfort while cycling. Wrist pronation. Stand up with your arms hanging down the sides of your body. Your hands are probably more or less flat against your thighs. Now bend…
Cycling is not just poor man's transportation
Carlton Reid has been a journalist for various British cycling publications (print and online) for 20 years now. Some of you are familiar with his Quick Release blog, and he’s a good friend to the Crooked Cog team. Carlton posted some commentary on how many news stories about the increase in bicycle commuting lead off…
Commuting 101: Make Them Hear You
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. Proverbs 17:27-28 (NIV) …Unless he or she is a cyclist… Children should be seen and not heard. …Unless they’re on a bike. Then they should be both… This is probably more applicable for those of you who ride…
When $5 in the tank doesn't cut it
Cars stranded on the side of the highway are starting to make waves in the media. People who are already trying hard to make ends meet by doing simple things like carpooling or stupid things like aggressive hypermiling (including intentional tailgating and failure to slow down adequately through cornering maneuvers) are still running out of…
Commute by car and go crazy
According to this LA Times article, sitting stuck in traffic can be bad for your mental health. Dr. Laura Pinegar, a Long Beach psychologist who treats depression and panic disorders, hears a growing number of complaints about traffic anxiety in her practice. “If you’re stuck in traffic, there’s a feeling of being out of control,”…
Versatile Storage with Cable Locks
Do you live in a part of the country where bike racks and other bike storage is rare or non existent. In these cases a U-Lock may leave you stranded with no where to lock your bike. In theses cases a cable lock may be the perfect choice for to ensure a place to lock…
Monday Morning Reading
It’s Monday morning and we’re all still wishing it was the weekend. In order to help distract you from doing your work, I’ve put together a series of commuter related links to websites and blogs that will give your fill of daily commute by bike readings. Hint: Alt + Tab (or Command + Tab on…
CBB Poll: How physical is your job?
This thread at BikeForums brings up an interesting point — what types of jobs do people commute to? Do most bike commuters have sedentary desk jobs? Does anybody commute by bike to a job that involves back breaking hard labor? Where do you fit?
Cyclomacy
What kind of bicycle diplomat (cyclomat?) are you? If you’re an Obama biker, you probably make eye contact with drivers, signal your turns, and yield the right-of-way when appropriate. If you’re a McCain biker, you have a window punch in your left hand, some Halt in the right, and greet drivers with a wry, Cheney-esque…